Management of Marine Conservation Zones

Management measures required within Marine
Conservation Zones (MCZs) will be decided on a site-by-site basis,
and will depend on what the site has been designated for.

Like protected sites on land, there will be
MCZs where some activities are not allowed but others can occur.
MCZs may have seasonal restrictions on activities rather than
a complete ban. Not all MCZs will need the same management
measures and there is no presumption that any specific type of
activity will be restricted. There may however, be some sites where
many activities are restricted.

Licensed and unlicensed activities and Marine Conservation
Zones

JNCC and Natural England have produced a general
assessment of potential impacts that licensed and unlicensed
activities could have on habitats and species to be
protected by MCZs, in the absence of MCZs but under existing
regulations and legislation.

This document also includes advice on possible options for
mitigation that may be required to avoid damage or disturbance to
these habitats and species. JNCC and Natural England have
also produced advice relating to the impacts of MCZs
on information provision and decisions in relation to marine licensing
proposals.

Roles and responsibilities for the management of Marine
Conservation Zones